Senior Sri Lankan lawmaker Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in on Friday as the new prime minister, a day after the Ranil Wickremesinghe was made new president as the island nation deals with its darkest hour.
This swearing-in took place just hours after Sri Lankan security forces conducted a rain on a protest camp on government grounds in the capital city of Colombo. The forces cleared part of the camp and made nine arrests as the administration moved to crack down on protestors to restore order.
The event came just hours after security forces raided a protest camp on government grounds in the main city of Colombo and cleared part of it, with at least nine arrests, as the new administration moves to crack down on protesters.
A former minister from the Podujana Peramuna party, Gunawardena took the oath of office in the presence of Wickremesinghe, seated in front of uniformed military officers in a room packed with lawmakers and officials, reported the Hindustan Times.
The rest of the cabinet will most probably be sworn in later on Friday.
The country’s economic crisis caused by mismanagement and feeling the after effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, resulted in president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country and resigning while on the run.
